1. Field of the Art
The present application describes various inventions relating to medical sampling systems, such as an automated system for moving sample brushes to facilitate sample aspiration, and features and methods associated with the same. Uses outside the medical field are also possible.
2. Description of Related Art
A number of medical sampling processes use a sample brush, swab, or similar sample carrier device to obtain a sample from a patient. Once a sample is obtained, the brush or other sampling tool may be stored in a tube or other vessel with a sealed top until the sample is tested. For example, tests for the Human Papilloma Virus (“HPV”) often employ a cytology brush that is used to collect cells from the cervical area. After the sample is collected, the end of the cytology brush on which the sample resides is broken from the remainder of the brush at a pre-existing score line, then sealed in a collection tube. The collection tube typically includes a solution in which the sample is preserved, which may be introduced into the tube before or after the brush and sample are placed in the tube. The HPV sample tube, with the brush included, is then sent to a laboratory to test for the presence of HPV genetic material.
Sampling systems in which the brush or other sampling device is stored in the sample vessel, such as the foregoing HPV test, provide certain benefits. For example, it is not necessary for the clinician to extract the sample from the sampling tool before it is placed in the vessel, and the sample is more likely to remain uncontaminated from the time it is taken until the time it is tested. In addition, the amount of biological waste at the clinician's work site may be reduced by at least some degree.
Despite their many advantages, it has been found that sampling systems in which the sampling device is stored along with the sample in a vessel can cause complications or inconveniences when it comes time to process the sample for testing. For example, it may be desirable to aspirate the sample from the vessel without removing the brush. This may be desirable to simplify the testing process, avoid unnecessary spills, and reduce the number of separate biological waste items. In addition, cells or other media being tested may be removed along with the brush, thereby diluting the sample quality. While it is desirable to keep the brush in the vessel as the sample is aspirated, it has been discovered that the brush or other tool may create a significant impediment to sample aspiration, particularly where it is desired to automate the aspiration process. For example, it has been found that an automated pipetting device can contact an HPV sample carrier in a significant number of aspiration attempts, leading, in some instances, to improper or inadequate aspiration. Given the desirability of providing accurate and timely test results of large numbers of samples, this problem has been an impediment to developing automated assaying and testing systems.
In view of the foregoing, it has been determined that there is a need for alternative systems and methods for medical sampling and testing. Further, while the following discussion emphasizes uses in particular areas of the medical field, it will be readily apparent that the inventions described herein may be used separately or together, and may have medical and testing applications beyond those described herein and even outside the medical field.